600 lb gorilla has been sighted....

After the last weekend of racing, Laurie begins the arduous year-end wrap up.

This job is the proverbial 600 lb gorilla for our Administrator, and it takes a good amount of time and effort.

First, every stable submits a year-end report. In this report, you'll confirm who is still racing and who is retiring, as well as directions on stable expansion and which horses you will send to auction.

Second, comes the auction. The actual auction only takes a couple days, but the record-keeping afterwards is very time consuming for Laurie.

After that is all done, Breeding takes place. Everyone who wishes to breed submits pairings and names for the foals. Laurie generates a couple hundred foals, updates dozens of stable rosters, and sends out AR's via email.

I think you can see the amount of work that is involved in this year-end process.

We can all make it easier on Laurie (and speed the process up considerably) if we are prompt in responding to her calls for action. This was mentioned in the forum recently, and I think it is very important to mention it again.

The year end process last season took over two months due primarily to some stables being extremely delinquent on one or more of the steps above.

Let's all be prompt in getting Laurie the information she needs as quickly as possible. Thanks!

Apologizes

This is to all of owners who sent in stud information and did not recieve a post in the Rag. Due to time constraints I have not been able to write up a Spotlight on some of your stallions. If you still wish that something is published e-mail me within the next day or two with a written article and I will be happy to publish it here.

Again I apologize to all,

M. Schwartz
Shahmat_Amal@hotmail.com

For What Its Worth

For some weeks now the new Sales Page has been up and running and for the most part is proving a great success. Sellers are able to choose to show none, some or all of the AR of the horse(s) they are selling, buyers are then able to make a more informed judgement as to whether or not to purchas the horse without the worry of "what's the AR".

The horses on sale range from multi million dollar winning stallions who are surplus to requirements, horses with great potential but who havent shown much on track yet all the way down to unraced yearlings and foals.

Some players will offer the horse for sale wiht either little or no reserve just to get the horse out of their barn. There are other players however who offer stock with a reserve that they believe to be a reflection of the horses true value or potential. It is not necessarily a horse they WANT to sell but perhaps need the stall for their new incoming stock.

Most players are happy with either system but there is a worrying trend starting to appear where a seller is being requested to show both the full AR and disclose the reserve price because the comments "high reserve" is putting off potential bidders.

This I feel is totally unfair on the seller as they are perfectly entitled to not sell a horse they feel has potential for little or no return. Many horses go through the sales in the "real world" with a reserve and this is not disclosed until the end of bidding when the auctioneer annouces "failed to meet reserve".

If the prospective purchaser doesnt think that they will be able to meet the reserve then they shouldnt be bidding, and definately not posting that it is unfair not to have the reserve price disclosed. If they are seriously interested in bidding for the horse then a private email to the seller should be sent and that way the deal can be struck in private or not as the case may be.

The only other alternative is that the seller can post the line "offers in excess of $x" so as to give bidders a chance to decide if they want to post a bid.

So sellers, its up to you - post the AR and if you have a reserve just an ballpark indication of a minimum offer. Buyers, if you have to post to ask how much the horse is you cant afford to buy it!!!

Return of 2 Year Old Champion

FLY SO HIGH the three year old filly bred by Eureka Racing Stables was crowed the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Filly. Being a Champion 2 year old, this filly has changed hands more than would be expected.

This filly by Trippi and out of Peach Sorbert was put up for sale in a Eureka Mid-Season Auction as a yearling, where she was bought by Farees Ameer Stables. However, just prior to her 2 year old debut, Farees Ameer Stables closed down it's establishment and the filly was sent, for the first time, to Endless Vista.

The young racehorse was alloted to Haras Falcon Racing Stud - where she won the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies and Hollywood Futurity.

At three the star filly raced 6 times early in the year, winning her debut, but placed 9th in the Kentucky Derby. Soon after her Derby start Haras Falcon closed its doors, and Fly So High found herself once again in Endless Vista.

She has since been picked up by Signature Racing Stables, another newly established stable. Her her debut race for her new stable lost in a photo finish to Miss Bust in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap; where she ran .02 seconds off the newly created World Record Time.

We welcome back FLY SO HIGH and give her connections all the best of luck!


Matt's Notable Mention: Good luck Signature Racing Stables on your fine filly. We have watched her progress early on - Hope she turns out good for you!
(Matt of Farees Ameer Stables)

Week One Buy - Week Two Race - Week Three Sell

With the new sales system in full flow, it has been noticed that now it is a lot easier to buy/sell horses, that some stables (both old and new) are almost weekly buyers/sellers.

For example, a very well bred but sadly underperfoming colt was put up for sale by an established stable. The AR was published along with a side note explaining that the horse wouldnt be fully mature until their 4th year. One of the newer stables purchased the colt and duly entered it immediately. The horse did not win or place and has now been put back up for sale. The original sale price was relatively small, and the horse's ability and promise (or lack thereof) was never hidden from the market. So the purchasing stable was well aware of the horses future and I can only imagine what thoughts are going through the original stables mind.

This brings me onto the subject - what can you learn from running a horse once? The sales system is not in place (as far as I am personally aware) to be used instead of claiming races. Most of the longer established stables (lets called them VETS) are wise to the practice of running a horse at least 4 - 6 times over various surfaces and distances to establish the horses potential (or lack of). The new influx of stables seems to see the sales as a place to simply pick up a horse cheaply (after having moaned how poor they are) and then run a horse once and if it doesnt deliver a winning cheque to put it back out in the market at a higher price to try to offset their costs.

VETS will know that this practice simply isnt viable and you will not see many of them delving into the sale market to pick up any horse going - they will research as much as possible, look back at past records of both sire/dam/siblings if data is available and not rely on the AR as the "horses handbook".

NEWBIES this and last season have many many more opportunties open to them than players/stables who joined prior to that. There are past performances to go through (esp when buying horses with past racing records), questions posted on the forum are answered in detail and there are of course the new Starter Allowance and Allowance races.

So perhaps its time for some new rules re sales.

1. Every horse purchased must be kept by that stable for a minimum of one month.
2. No horse can be sold after less than 2 runs for its new stable.
3. If a stable appears to be buying/selling horses with increasing regularity then it will be banned from buying/selling for a period of one month.
4. No horse can be put up for sale WITHOUT the full AR being shown.

I hope that everyone reading this will see this in the spirit it is meant to be read. What can any player new or old learn from racing a horse once? How many players in the past have sold a horse they consider to be bad, only to see another stable turn it around with a bit of patience and understanding (ie varying the horses race either by surface or distance).

Will this post deter the new practice by some stables of buying and selling on a week in week out basis - probably not but then again how long will they last in the game if they buy high and sell low? So new stables - the VETS are still around becuase they have learnt the way to play by using patience and lots of it. NEWBIES dont keep moaning how hard you are having it, you are all damn lucky to get to pick your horses when you start - you should hear some of the horror stories by the earlier stables! And you get a lot more help than appears to be appre0icated by SOME new stables (not all just some and they know who they are) - including free breeds, discounted sales, special offers etc. I am not saying DONT offer new players special deals but perhaps with some conditions attached, ie if they buy a horse at a reduced rate but then turnaround and sell it for an inflated profit, the original vendor would be liable to say 50% of the profit? That might slow down this new buy em cheap sell em dear!

HRF Speed & Stamina Ratings

Excellent - Very Good - Good - Fair - Poor.

Seems fairly straightforward, doesn't it?

Even if you don't own the game, you can still see the Horse Racing Fantasy (HRF) Speed and Endurance ratings for each horse in the Past Performance spreadsheet updated by our friend Amanda from Bally Doyle.

Nothing is better than a horse with Excellent speed, right? Except when it actually translates to really slow on the track. It happens quite often.

Those horses with Very Good stamina are nice to have for those 10-16 furlong races. Except when they can't make it past 7 furlongs. Again, fairly commonplace.

Promised Land of Stonewall Stables, who by the way is currently available in the forum as a broodmare for the highest bidder, was one of the premier 16 furlong horses in this game. Two miles was her best distance. It was virtually the only distance she ran. What was her HRF Endurance rating? Poor. Rather odd, wouldn't you say?

Madame de Francais from FDL Lodge was one of the best racing mares in PF history. Speed and endurance; the total package. Her HRF Speed and Endurance ratings? Good, Good. Makes her sound run-of-the-mill rather than the superstar she truly was.

The point is, you can look at the HRF Speed and Endurance ratings and think the horse looks extraordinary, average, or terrible. But sometimes you are looking at a mirage. And sometimes you're not.

Making buy and sell decisions on anything less than race results can be very risky. The best place to determine the worth of a horse is on the track.

Speed and Endurance ratings aren't completely worthless. Neither are AR's. You just have to learn to accept the fact that things are not always black and white when appraising the potential of a horse.

There is alot of grey in there too.

Double Debut Win

It's a wonderful and perhaps scary feeling as a young trainer orders the first entries of the new stable. Training can only take a horse so far, and sooner or later he or she will have to be tested in the racing ovals, and hopefully will be able to beat a few horses home.

One such stable is Pegasus Park from the United States of America. Like many new stables they started with two young hopefuls - a pair of unraced, but highly bred, two year old colts. Bold N' Honorable is the son of Bold N' Free and Sovereign Belle, and was bred by the dam's owner Jersey Shore. The other colt, Foxtrot, was bred by Red Wing Stables, a stable who has recently got out of the racing business, and is one of the few foals by Saddlers Wells and he is out of Bosra Sham. Both are brimming with potential, and this past week the owners/trainers at Pegasus Park sent them out to see what they were made of.

The son of sprinting champion Bold N' Free made his racing debut in the G3 Swynford Stakes, and ran near the front on the pack for the entire race, but couldn't catch the Bally Doyle colt O How Funny, and finished 2 lengths back in second place - finishing the 7 furlong sprint on dirt in 1:22.15 bringing home $12,250 to the young stable.

Seven days later, Pegasus Park sent out their Saddlers Wells colt in the UG Alcohol Go Easy Stakes in the 7.5 furlong test on firm turf. Foxtrot faced four other colts, Blushafter of Godolphin17, Royal Ruler from Thunder Lodge, Samurai Thunder trained at History's Own Stables, and Antietam Creek representing Whisperwood.

It didn't take long before the starter had these 5 young colts ready in the starting gate on this beautiful morning.

Samurai Thunder broke the fastest, but after a few short strides Blushafter took the early lead, with Antietam Creek and Foxtrot a length behind, with Royal Ruler sitting comfortable in 5th.

As they entered the turn, their positions had not changed, but the chestnut Foxtrot was starting to move up on the three leaders and was soon battling for third with Antietam Creek. Blushafter was sitting very comfortable with his short lead over Samurai Thunder. Royal Ruler was also starting to make his move at this point, moving up on the four colts ahead of him.

As they came around the long turn, Foxtrot had swung wide around Blushafter and Samurai Thunder and took the lead, looking for the finish line. Royal Ruler was also eating away at the margain, and had taken over fourth from the fading Antietam Creek.

With a furlong to go, Foxtrot held nearly a 2 length lead over Blushafter, but his jockey called to him once more, and he answered with a final drive. Who would finish first? But Royal Ruler, some 8 lengths back was moving with good speed down the stretch. Was his move too late?

It was Foxtrot, then it was Blushafter, the two chestnut colts were battling it out, changing leads with each stride. And it became clear that Royal Ruler would not catch the battling duo, but his gallant effort was not lost. But which young colt would win it? The Saddlers Wells colt or the Giant Causeway colt?

With a final surge in the last few feet (or meters if you prefer) Foxtrot managed to get his head in front of Blushafter and won by a neck with a finish time of 1:31.16. The game chestnut colt of Godolphin17 flashed under the wire with a time of 1:31.20. The late-charging Royal Ruler finished the 7.5 furlong test with 1:32.35, Samurai Thunder finished in 1:33.24, and Antietam Creek had a time of 1:36.82.


So, it was a fine week for Pegasus Park, a 1st week record of 2:1-1-0 with $36,250 in combined earnings. Not as good as the $300,000 four winners came home with, but Pegasus Park is off to a running start!

Congratulations Pegasus Park!

Stallion Spotlight on Handsome Man

Handsome Man is an eight-year-old bay stallion standing at Hopeful Farm and this will be his fourth year standing at stud. He has produced 18 foals - 10 colts and 8 fillies - over the past three years, with 6 of them at racing age.

Handsome Man is a name that many players may never have heard of, except as some old champion who was retired to stud. But it was a name that was known by many in a not too distant past.

Handsome Man amassed a record of 43:10-16-11 with $3,792,500. Not as great as some stallions that we may see, but still a very good record all around. In fact, this stallion raced on the board over 86% of the time, in fact, he placed out of the money only 4 times in his 3 year campaign; meaning he ran in the money over 93% of the time.

At 3 years old Handsome Man ran under MillarBrooke's colors and made $1,210,000 in 17 starts, not too bad for a colt who trainers claimed would be too immature at 3.

After MillarBrooke's owner and trainer disappeared, Handsome Man came to Hopeful Farm in 2004, a newly opened stable. He was raced only 10 times that year, from 5 furlongs to 10 furlongs and even managed a track record. It was clear that this young colt was starting to hit his peak, amassing a record of 10:1-5-3 with $1,076,250 in G1 and G2 company.

With his win in the G1 Lightning Stakes, and placings in G1 races, Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap, Breeder's Cup Sprint, and Hong Kong Sprint (and nomination for Eclipse Sprinter of the Year) the owner/trainer at Hopeful Farm was starting to learn the dyanamo of a sprinter that she had in her barn.

But this star sprinter could also run and place in races with top competition up to 10 furlongs. In the G1 Pacific Classic, this bay four year old ran second to legend Revenge, less than 2 furlongs behind the great champion with a time of 1:59.66 - a very good time, especially for this champion sprinter.

In 2005, Hopeful Farm made the decision to run Handsome Man in races under a mile. Racing 12 times, Handsome Man won 6, came home second 3 times, showed third once, and placed fourth once as well, with just under $1.5 million dollars in earnings. That year Handsome Man won 2 out of 3 legs of the Sprinter's Triple Crown, and broke the world record for 5.5F on the turf in G1 The Galaxy with a time of 1:03.0.

But what about his success as a breeding stallion?

Handsome Man currently has 6 racers from his 1st crop at stud, and three of them have made their racing debuts.

Most notably is HANDSOMELY KEPT, the filly out of Safely Kept (bred and owned by Hoepful Farm). This filly won her debut race, the UG Grimcrack Stakes - 6 furlongs on turf - by 6 lengths. Handsome Man has another 2 year old winner in HANDSOME PROBLEM - another Hopeful Farm foal - the colt out of Soviety Problem. In his first race the colt placed 3rd, and in his last race (Madien at 5.5F) he won by 5 lengths. Handsome Man's other racer a filly bred and trained at History's Own HANDSOME IMAGE recently ran 4th in the G3 Natalma Stakes.

Overall his progeny has a record of 5:2-0-1-1, not bad for a young group of 2 year olds who should get better with age. Chelsey, owner and trainer at Hopeful Farm, said that another Handsome Man baby should be making his debut soon, but that not all of Handsome Man 2006 crop may not see the racing ovals as 2 year olds.

According to training reports from Hopeful Farm, Handsome Man has produced a long distance loving yearling who may be their next Kentucky Derby hopeful. So keep your eyes open for this highly toted colt.

STUD FEE: $10,000 ($5,000 New Stables)
Contact: Hopeful Farm

Ability Report for horse Handsome Man

Handsome Man, bay colt
By Manila out of Beautiful Pleasure by Maudlin

This horse will mature slowly, in time for the later handicap season.
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse will be immature at Derby time, likely overpowered by more mature horses.
This horse is ok on hard dirt.
This horse is ok on soft dirt.
This horse is poor in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is ok on soft turf.
This horse shows average fight if challenged at the wire.
This horse is of average soundness.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse has average curve handling abilities.
This horse cruises once it has the lead.
This horse handles traffic ok.
This horse has consistency problems.
Doesn't always meet expectations.
This horse has an average recovery rate between races.
This horse has average weight carrying capacity.
This horse is a front runner.
This horse accelerates like a bullet!
This horse breaks well out of the gate.
This horse has good speed. Could set records.
Handles 5f to 1.25mi, best distance 1 1/8mi.

A Month to Go...

A lot of talk has been going around about the upcoming Breeding Season, I am a culprit of this as much as the next person, but let us not forget that there are a lot of more races to be completed before we look to the future stars.

In about a month (game-time), all eyes will turn to Churchill Downs for the running of the 2008 Breeder’s Cup. It is once last chance for the years best to gather at one racetrack and prove themselves – at least to the eyes of the Eclipse voters – who is the best of the best. Rivals have been won and lost, and Eclipse Champions decided here… but who will come out the winner?

We’ll take a look at some top candidates for the upcoming races… Hopefully I’ll get through them all before race day (If anyone else wants to contribute they would be most welcome!)

I’ll be covering the races in the following order: Classic, Turf, Endurance, Sprint, Distaff, Mile, Filly/Mare Turf, Juvenile, and Juvenile Filly. Why? Not sure… but, again, if anyone wants to cover a race I have already done, or one that I have not gotten around to, then by all means do – if you are a regular staff member, or want to e-mail your article… shahmat_amal@hotmail.com for those daring enough to put our their predictions…

Enough of that… down to business. Nine Races… and $15,000,000 (that is a total of $9 million dollars to the winners). The richest race, The Classic, is a test for 3 year olds and up at 10 furlongs on the dirt. It has a purse of $4,000,000 ($2,400,000 to the horse that crosses the line first).

But who will show up? And better yet, who will win it? Here is my Top 3 (listed in no particular order) for this year's Breeder's Cup Classic:

A BUS – (Fields of Omagh x Unworldly) This 4 year old bay colt bred and owned by Port Pirie Racing is the reigning Horse of the Year, Champion 3 Year old Colt, Champion Male Turf, and Breeder's Cup Turf winner. He is the only current racer in the Top 10 overall, and is closing in on 2nd placed THUNDER ARTIC. Last year he ran in the BC Turf, but we think his connections may choose to enter him in the Breeder's Cup Classic this year.

He's had a stellar year this year, with a record of 9:6-3-0 bringing home $3,697,500. His biggest win was the G1 Melbourne Cup at 16 furlongs, where he won by nearly 17 lengths on a sloppy track. The longer the distace, the better this colt gets... so why would his connections send him to a 10 furlong race? The Horse of the Year is up for grabs... and a 3 year old filly has recently come out on top...

PERFECT BELL (Bellbuster x Perfect Arc) This 3 year old bay filly bred and owned by Rainbow has dominated the 3 year old division and is stepping out of her class. She has a record of 8:7-0-1 with $5,139,200 in earnings. Her only flaw came in the Belmont Stakes, but she has proven herslef time and again since.

Her biggest win this season came a few weeks ago in the Arlington Million, a race for 3 year olds and up over 10 furlongs on the turf. She narrowly beat A BUS for the win over PEGASUS SONG, LED ASTRAY, AND LAZY LOPER. Earlier in the year she faced A BUS in the Caufield Cup over 12 furlongs and beat him yet again, by the narrowest of margins. But is there an older filly who may beat them both to the wire?

PEGASUS SONG (Fusaichi Pegasus x Serena's Song) This 4 year old filly was the Perfect Bell of last year. She won the Kentucky Derby, opting for the Open U.S. Triple Crown, and then later in the year won the Breeder's Cup Distaff. She has a lifetime record of $9,510,000 18-12-4-1 which places her 13th on the overall Top 25. She's had a stellar year this year, coming home with $5,550,000 in six races (6:4-1-1), which places her at the top of the Top 10 4 Year Olds for 2008. She may also be similar to A Bus, and opt to race in the Classic this year, instead of defending last's year BC win.

Her biggest win of the season came in the G1 Dubai World Cup, where she won by nearly 3 lengths over Lazy Loper; but more than that she ran an outstanding time of 1:58.28 - posting the best time of the year for 10 furlongs. She did lose to Perfect Bell in the Arlington Million, coming in a solid third, but that race was on turf, and anyone could see that it was not her preferred surface. On the dirt track in Kentucky she may give us a better showing...

But will there be an upset? These horses may be up for the challenge...

RAPIDO (Spanish Midnight x Take Charge Lady) This Bonai bred colt is currently races for FDL Lodge; he is one of the few foals by the Kentucky Derby and Breeder's Cup Classic winner SPANISH MIDNIGHT. He has a decent lifetime record of $626,400 20-1-3-2, but has only managed to come in the money thrice this year. His only win came from the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes earlier in the year.

His owner, Finlay, known for sending a large contingent to Breeder's Cup week, has stated that this 3 year old colt may be on his way to Churchill Downs for this $4 million race; although, they say that his chances aren't very good.

We believe that this colt will have to find a whole other level if he'll be able to race with Pegasus Song, A Bus and Perfect Bell. His only race at 10 furlongs this year he was clocked at 2:03.21 - it simply won't cut it to Pegasus Song's 1:58.28, Perfect Bell's 1:58.62 or A Bus' 1:58.67.

ENLIGHTENMENT (Sakhee x Open Mind) This 3 year filly was bred by Stonewall Stables, but is under Watch This Space's management. This filly isn't listed here because she is a champion racer with an impeccable record, but due to her potential.

She isn't on any Top Ten, and has a lifetime record of $1,248,550 20-7-2-2. Not great... but on August 16 she won the G1 Alabama Stakes, a race over 10 furlongs by 8 lengths with a time of 1:58.38. Now, my math may be wrong, but I think that is just 1/10th of a second off of Pegasus Song's top time for 10 furlongs, and that it beats both Perfect Bell's and A Bus' top times for 10 furlongs.

Now, here comes the disclaimer... she hasn't run with those champions, hasn't stared them down coming home in the final stretch, and she has been a bit inconsistent this year. However, if she can put up those kind of numbers, well she has some speed in her feet.

LED ASTRAY (Our Differences x Astra) This 3 year old filly bred by American Acres and trained at Hopeful Farm is this year's Belmont Stakes winner, and one of the best 3 year olds around. She is 7th on the 2008 Top Ten list for 3 year olds, with a 2008 record of $1,855,000 with 8:4-0-1, her three off the board races she placed 4th.

One of those 4th place finishes came in the Arlington Park where she placed a game 4th to Perfect Bell, A Bus, and Pegasus Song, which is her only race at 10 furlongs. That day she posted a time of 1:59.22 - not as good as we've seen, but very respectable.

If she runs in the Classic, don't expect to find her too far from the leaders. She is a game filly who has been strong this entire year, and had a good run in the Arlington Million. However, here is a filly that we believe would excel at longer distances.

LAZY LOPER (Menacing Dennis x Lazy Slusan) This 4-year-old colt was bred by Snowbank Farm and is trained at Bonai Farms. He has a record of 25:16-5-2 with $6,670,000 in lifetime earnings, which puts him in the Top 25 Overall, and 4th in the Top 10 for Lifetime 4 year olds, and 3rd in the Top 10 for 2008 4 year olds.

If Lazy Loper goes to this year's Breeder's Cup it'll be his first and last time, as he is retiring at the end of the year. This colt has had a good season thus far, only running worse than 3rd once.

Earlier in the year, in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup ran 2nd to Pegasus Song, less than 2 lengths back, and posted a time of 1:58.63. He has the speed and endurance to post an excellent time at 10 furlongs on dirt, but will he be able to pull it out in the face of the Top 3?

Coming up... Breeder's Cup Turf

Questions you want to ask but havent!

Ok so now you have joined the game you want to find out more but are too afraid to ask on the forum because you think the more established players will think your question "dumb"?!
DONT WORRY!
We have all asked those questions at some point and as the game expands, the questions are being asked more and more and the forum is starting to overflow! So a few of us thought it would be a good idea to have a place where all the questions can be asked and answered, and here are the first few with answers.

I have just started and have 2 horses. How do I get new ones? The auction is only once a year and I don't want to wait so long. Can I ask people? Do you have a sale page?

There are several different ways to get new horses. The most common is to simply post on the forum asking if anyone has horses for sale. Most stables will and you will probably get several responses to that effect, so then you have to decide on which horse to buy. If you don’t get a response don’t worry, every so often a stable will offer a horse for sale on the forum and a lot of the time these will be available to new stables or with certain restrictions.

There is a sale page under construction and this should change the way horses are sold. It will be a little like “ebay”, ie either an auction or “buy it now”. It may take a while to work out the kinks but it should make it easier to get horses. Whilst all the “older” players get used to the new format, I am sure that horses will still be advertised on the forum.

If you are feeling bold, you can always contact a stable direct but this usually leads to disappointment so just keep checking the forum.

You also have to make a decision as to what direction you want to take your stable. Do you want to specialize in sprinters, classic, distance. Are you happier with horses that run on turf or dirt? Is breeding a big factor in playing the game. This game takes patience, dedication and a lot of luck but careful planning will make sure you play for more than one season.



How much is a sensible price to pay? Does the price go on how much the horse has won? how many wins it has? its AR make it etc. I can't afford much yet so I know I can't buy a star but I'm worried I might get horses that only cost money to keep and to enter in races and I'll run out of money!

There is no one answer for how much is a sensible price to pay. It can go on how much they have won, number of wins and of course the dreaded AR. The best thing to do is to see what is available in the market and if nothing takes your fancy don’t buy. Two horses can win as much as 5 if you place them right. In your first year, try not to spend over $50,000 on any one horse. You will run out of money otherwise!

Don’t be fooled by the “advert” for a horse. Anyone can say the horse is the next “Seabiscuit” but a way to find out is to do research. All the previous seasons races and data is to be found somewhere on this website. A horse that scores consistently at 90+ in all its races is a good buy. Also have a look at siblings and other offspring. If a dam is consistently throwing good foals that place/win then try to get an older runner from her.

Pedigrees offer a good guide to the potential of a horse but breeding two champion Real Life horses together wont necessarily produce the next champion. It may give you a good indication but some of the best horses in the game are products of very average parents and/or cheap breeds.


I've entered a couple of races - some are written in capital letters, some in lower case. Are the capital letter races the best ones? Or is there some other reason for the differences?
There is no reason for the Capital letters, its just how the Race Steward has the races set out. She gets the data from another source and that’s how its written.


Apart from the obvious age restrictions are there any races that you can't enter a horse in (rather than shouldn't). Do you have nominations to the big races? And what about breeders cup type races? If you think your horse is good enough can you enter it?
There are no restrictions for entering horses apart from age/sex. The Triple Crown races and the Breeders Cup races are all “open” so you don’t have to worry about nominating a horse or buying one that isn’t eligible. If you think your horse is good enough, then enter – but don’t enter the big races just in the hope of getting some money back, this the road to ruin and many a stable has fallen for this.

Remember that racers cost more to keep than breeders and a bad racer will not help your bank balance. Ask for advice if you are unsure, you may get several different answers but you will get answers!


Is there a list of significant races e.g. Triple Crown series, or races like the Arc that people are especially keen to win?

EVERYONE wants to win a Triple Crown and we are lucky in this game that there are several of them. These can be found under RULES on the home page but just for ease of reference, here they are:

3yr old Triple Crown: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes3yr old Filly Triple Crown: Kentucky Oaks, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Coaching Club American OaksNYRA Filly Triple Crown: Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, Coaching Club American OaksHandicap Triple Crown: Metropolitan Handicap, Brooklyn Handicap, Suburban Handicap2yr old Triple Crown: Hopeful Stakes, Futurity Stakes, Champagne Stakes2yr old Filly Triple Crown: Spinaway Stakes, Matron Stakes, Frizette StakesCanadian Triple Crown: Queen's Plate Stakes, Prince of Wales Stakes, Breeders StakesCanadian Filly Triple Crown: Canadian Oaks, Bison City Stakes, Wonder Where Stakes Sprinter Triple Crown (Silver Arrow series): Lightning Stakes, Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket HandicapEnglish Triple Crown: 2000 Guineas, The Derby, St. Leger

All of these “TC’s” carry a bonus of $1million on top of the regular purse which makes them very attractive. And like in the real world, they aren’t easy to win!

Some players also like to win races that take place in their home country, ie English players will prefer to try to win the Derby etc, Australian players the Melbourne Cup and of course the Americans the Kentucky Derby.


Some of the AR reports have contradictory bits in them, which takes preference or do the contradictory bits modify each other? EG, I have a racer who likes hard dirt and turf, dislikes soft dirt and turf and prefers mud. I can’t begin to guess how this will translate in racing!

ARs can be the fountain of all knowledge or the source of all evil, depending on your point of view. A lot of players now view them as more of an “indication” of how their horse will run/mature rather than an exact rule. You can enter you horse with a scratch in each race but rather than list out all the preferences/dislikes, it can just be easier to say “scratch if NO” which means the Steward will enter your horse into the race but if she sees that the horses surface preference says “NO” or “NO!” she will scratch. That’s probably the most sensible way of entering them. Some horses can run on surfaces they are meant to hate but it can lead to soreness or long term injury.

The best advice is to run your horse a few times according to its AR and see what happens. Then you can make your own mind up as to what to change, either distance, surface etc. Also check out the Past Performances (PPs) as these contain details relating to surface preferences, speed stamina etc.


If I retire a mare or stallion at the end of the season can they be bred from straight away or must they wait until the end of the next season?

They can be bred straight away but only if you notify the Steward when submitting your End of Season report. This will have to include the stud fees etc.


If I buy a broodmare in the auction, is there time to breed from her before the next season starts?

Yes.


If you buy a racing mare can you instantly retire her to stud or has she to stay a racing mare to the end of the following season?

You can only retire a horse at the end of each season but if you think that your mare isn’t running well or is getting injured and you think that she has past her peak, simply don’t enter her in any more races, this will save money.


During the auction it is likely that you will have to bid on more horses than you really want as you will get outbid on some. What happens if you are more successful than you expect? I don't want to lose the horses I have so can you withdraw bids if you won all the horses you have space for, or if you look to be running out of money?

What happens is that if you either overspend or buy more horses than you have stalls for, the Steward will contact you advising you of the situation and you usually get a chance to select which horses you REALLY want, so if you buy 5 horses and only have room for 3, you will have to make sure you know which 3 you want. The same applies if you overspend. If you have bid $400,000 and only have $200,000 in the bank, then you will have to work out which you want. Remember, you need to have money for the rest of the season

We hope that the above answers SOME of your questions but please let us know if you have any more questions.

[Reposted from Amanda's Past Preformances-New Player's Only]

Breeding to the Best = Getting the Best?

Following on from Matt's superb article about the amount of breeding that is now undertaken by the players, I thought it time to see if there was a pattern emerging with any particular stable or stallion strain being more dominant than another in order to try to answer that periennial question - if I breed to the best will I get the best? The scoring is out of 5 *'s.

The simple answer is - WHO KNOWS?!

Lets focus on the current crop of 2yr and specifically at the the horses currently in the Top Ten so far this season. 1-4 below (rest to follow by end of week).

Barcelona - Sire Mr Innocent Dam Yes She Can Can - Breeder - Port Pirie Racing
The only horse sired by Mr Innoncent in the game. The dam has two foals of racing age, both winners. At first glance a very unfashionable pedigree but one that obviously works.
Best from the Best Score - 3***

Taco Bell - Sire Bellbuster Dam Stellar Jayne - Breeder - Zippy Chippy Stables
Bellbuster, standing at stud for Snowbank Farm, has proved himself to be a very good bargain for those who managed to get breedings to him BEFORE this season. At a fee of only $30,000 he was one of the more reasonably priced stallions who got a full book. He has 14 yearlings ready to run next season. He also has 2 horses in the Top Ten 3yr olds this season. Stellar Jayne (multiple Group winner in RL) has two foals in the game, this and one sired by Rock Hard Ten (bred by Almosta Ranch) due to run next season.
Best from the Best score - 7*******

Redskyatdawn - Sire Dawn Patrol Dam Makybe Diva - Breeder Smokeys Stable
A solid if not spectacular sire, Dawn Patrol has sired several crops of racing age but usually only one per season with offspring including Case Closed, Inspection and Peakon on Patrol. Next season he has 3 yearlings due to run and has just sired 13 foals in his last crop. Definately a stallion to follow but probably as a sire of later maturing horses. Maykbe Diva was a racing superstar, winning 3 Melbourne Cups in a row. She has 4 registered foals in the game, the oldest (West End Riot) being by another Cup winner (Brew) but out of luck so far in 5 races to date.
Best of the Best score - 6 ******

Machete Sire Revenge Dam Bint Marscay - Breeder KRF Stables
Another "super" stallion who is living up to his hype. He (like Bellbuster) has an entry in the Top Ten 3yr olds (although only one representative). Bred in the purple by Stephen Got Even out of the Champion (RL) mare Serena's Song, he won 14 of his 18 lifetime starts and nearly $10million in purse money. Owned by KRF Stables he is a popular (if expensive) choice for many breeders when they want to inject a little bit of class into their lines. Due to his remarkable record, his fee has risen this year to $200,000 from a previous £75,000. The dam has had a foal every PF breeding season and has a 3yr old (Moet) in the Top Ten LIFETIME earnings. She has a foal by Park Lane due to run next season.
Best of the Best score - 8********

Mental Edge Sire Dajyjur Dam Pleasant Ballet - Breeder Bonai Farms

A very underused stallion in the game, siring only three horses so far - one in his first crop (Mental Edge) and two in 2007 (next seasons 2 yr olds). A horse more famous for "losing" the Breeders Cup Sprint when he "jumped" a shadow in only strides from the wire, and campaigned predominately in England over a mile on turf, he was a good horse. Perhaps that is what puts off prospective breeders - a) they perceive him as a "turfer" and b) he is a sprinter? Who knows but Bonai (the breeder of Mental Edge) must like him as he has used Dayjur again this year, but only one other breeder has joined him. The dam has 4 foals in the game, the other to race being Pleasant Vengence who has only made one visit to the race track so far and is now 3. Her next foal is by Housebuster, the sire of Bellbuster (ses above) so expect another good 2yr old.
Best of the Best score - 7*******

Silver Slicker Sire Dansilver Dam Slickfest - Breeder Parklands
One of the games "greats" on the track, Dansilver's impact as a top sire hasnt quite been fulfilled. There appears to be no reason why, he is getting the quality mares and plenty of opportunties. Perhaps his offspring need time to mature? From what has been seen on track so far (from a crop of less than 1/2 dozen foals), as the season has progressed they have improved. He has 8 yearlings to run next season. The dam, Slickfest, was a racing millionaire during her racing campaign, winning 13 out of her 37 races so she was obviously tough to sustain a solid racing schedule. This is her first foal. Owned by Parklands, they have a yearling by Thunder Artic due to race next season.
Best of the Best score - 6******

Hold That Train Sire Hold That Tiger Dam Very Classy - Breeder Eureka Racing Stables
An interesting pedigree, being by a sire by the sire of Sires, Storm Cat but Hold That Tiger only made 10 starts winning less than $600,000. This colt is the only foal from his first crop but he has only sired 5 foals all told. It has also to be said that the level of mares sent to him has not been of the highest quality, whilst they are solid they are not "great". The dam was unraced and is by Sky Classic (by Nijinsky) but looks very ordinary. This breeding does however almost prove a point that a below average mare bred to an average sire CAN make a good horse. There is every reason to believe that this colt will "train on" next season.
Best of the Best score - 5*****

Lazy Patrol Sire Dawn Patrol Dam Let's Elope - Breeder Smokey's Stable
Again, on paper this doesnt look like a dream breeding but the stallion is proving himself to be very good. Whilst unraced in the game, he has sired several crops of racing age, and can include in his current 3yr old runners Case Closed who holds 3 WRs and won over $1.5million to date, Inspection (filly), On the Prowl (filly/millionairess) and two colts, Peakon on Patrol and Turf Dreams. Already a pattern seems to be emerging. His fillies are very good his colts not so. Another stallion to have a small book next year, this time 3. The dam, Let's Elope was another to run over 20 times and have several wins to her name and earn over $3mil. All of her foals have been colts and her next foal to run is by Kingston Town (a RL gelding so there will be plenty of interest in his stock). Smokey's Stable is known for getting good stock from humble origins and this is a prime example.
Best of the Best score - 5*****

Linköping Sire Bold N'Free Dam Our Egyptian Raine - Breeder Port Pirie Racing
Now here is a stallion who made a strong impact on the game when racing - starting 50 times, winning 15 and over $6mil in prize money. Sadly whilst getting a large book of mares in his first season, so far only this colt appears to have made an impact. The theory must be that his foals will be better the older they get, so anything they acheive at 2yrs is a bonus. He himself got better as he got older. But that hasnt stopped breeders using him, in fact he is probably one of the most popular stallions in the game and usually has a full book. Our Egyptian Raine has two foals to race to date who hasnt shown too much on the track. She was not bred after producing Linköping and her next foal was born in 2008 and is by Lord Essex.
Best of the Best score - 7*****

(and finally!)

Skip Practice Sire Albert the Great Dam Dancethruthdawn - Breeder Fender Stables
Just making it into the Top Ten 2yr olds is a filly by a real trier on the track, Albert the Great who was very reliable and appears to have passed this down to his daughter- who has the best race record of the Top Ten = not in money but in 9 starts has never finished out of the top 3, including 7 wins. Redskyatdawn is higher placed with less wins due to winner more prize money. The mare, Dancethruthedawn, is regally bred being by Mr Prospector and out of Dance Smartly, herself a champion racemare. Her previous foal to race, Xtra Dawn, hasnt show much to be fair but she has been visiting only the top sires, her next foal to race being by A P Indy and interestingly named "Wooden Rabbit". A well respected player in the context of the game, when making this pairing Fender Stables obviously saw something worthwhile.
Best of the Best score - 9*********

Dont get mad reading this - its my own opinions and probably totally wrong but lets get discussing!

By - Nancy Newmarket

Broodmare Stats

This season a new set of rules will be enforced for many breeding programs. No longer can stables use “List” mares or stallions, unless they give a donation. This will hinder many stables breeding programs, and offer a significantly fewer number of foals born each year (unless Endless Vista breeds more to accommodate).

In the world of Photo-Finish we have small breeding programs with one or two mares, and then those stables that have upwards of 10 or more ladies filling their barn.

Let’s look at a few stats (please note: This does not include fillies/mares that will be retired at the end of the year).

218 – The number of current broodmares
48 – The number of stables that currently have broodmares (52.17%)
44 – The number of stables that do not have broodmares (47.83%)
20 – The number of stables that have 5 or more broodmares
15 – The most broodmares for one stable (Stonewall)
5 – The number of stables with 10+ broodmares (Stonewall – 15, Whisperwood – 13, Eureka Racing Stables – 12, Parklands and Rainbow – 10)
4.5 – Mean/Average of broodmares per stable.
4 – The Median number of broodmares
2 – The 2nd most frequent number of broodmares
1 – The Mode (most frequent) number of broodmares per stable (9 stables)

# of Broodmares - Stable

15 Stonewall Stables
13 Whisperwood
12 Eureka Racing Stables
10 Parklands
10 Rainbow
9 Hopeful Farm
9 Snowbank Farm
7 Moose Hollow Farm
7 Olmo Dorato
7 Smokey's Stable
7 Yeguada Lore Toki
6 Chiknsmack Stables
6 KRF Stables
6 Watch This Space
6 Woodbury Stables
5 DVO Stable
5 Fender Stables
5 Goforwand Stables
5 Long Island Hayburners
5 Rivendell Stable
4 Bonai Farms
4 Endless Vista Stud Farm
4 Port Pirie Racing
4 Thunder Lodge
4 Under The Weeping Moon
3 Alydar Stables
3 Bally Doyle Stables
3 Establos Del Castillo
3 FDL Lodge
3 Godolphin17
3 Golden Acres
2 Bowen Lodge
2 Cavalier Stables
2 Foxies Lodge
2 History's Own Stable
2 Phoenix Hill Farm
2 Pointgiven Stables
2 Star Light Stables
2 Sunnydale High Stables
1 Akuma no Heya
1 Beaver Stables
1 H T Stables
1 Iron Racing
1 Lakeside Acres
1 Pumpkin Pastures
1 South Beach Stables
1 Spartan Racing Stables
1 Zippy Chippy Stables

Stable Size - What is best for you?

I think we would all agree that Stable Size One is great for beginners, but pretty difficult to work with down the road.

The optimum situation is to have as many profitable racers as you can effectively manage and yet leave room for an occasional purchase if something good pops up. With just 5 stalls, Size One makes this virtually impossible. Therefore, 100% of viable stables expand to Size Two after their first season of operation, especially since there is no real life financial cost to do so (although it will cost 20% of your current Photo-Finish bankroll).

Size Two offers up 10 stalls and a little breathing room and flexibility. Now you have the option of expanding your string a little, maybe even adding a broodmare. This size was comfortable enough for me to spend 2 seasons there. I generally had 6-7 racers and a yearling of two. Eventually though, the breeding bug strikes and you want to start producing your own foals.

Breeding is intrinsically satisfying, plus it insulates you somewhat from the necessity of participating in the annual auction. The problem with breeding? You need more stalls. The broodmares must be housed at your stable. As you develop into a breeding stable, you'll find that Size Two is also too contricting.

Which brings us to Size Three. Twenty stalls. Ahhh...much better.

Advancing to Three requires two prerequisites.

1. 25% of your current Photo-Finish assets
2. A cash contribution to Laurie Brown
   

Laurie spends countless hours administering the game. She also spends money on hardware and programming. So, with a small cash contribution for the good of the game, you can dramatically increase the size of your stable.

With the advancement to Size Three, you have plenty of room for racers, broodmares, studs, yearlings, and foals. My preference is to have approximately 3 foals each year. Therefore 3 broodmares are necessary. That would mean that my stable would breakdown something like this each year:

• 3 Foals
• 3 Yearlings
• 3 Broodmares
• 7-8 Racers
• 1-2 Studs
• 1-3 open spots

This kind of configuration gets you an influx of three fresh 2yo's each year, plus leaves you with a couple spots in case a bargain horse becomes available. If you want to supplement your stable a little bit via the auction, you've got room for that also.

I personally find managing about 10 racers to be the maximum that I can effectively handle. Because of that I am comfortable to remain at Stable Size Three for now. However, if you feel the need, Stable Sizes Four and Five are available, allowing 30 and 40 stalls respectively.

Again, each advancement requires a cash contribution and a sizeable portion of your assets. But if your goal is to join the ranks of the major breeding stables, these advancements will be necessary.

Stallion Spotlight on Vampirical

Vampirical is the seven year old brown stallion from Spartan Racing Stables. This old boy is about ready to retire to the breeding shed after a long hard campaign. He has seen some of the best race in their glory days, and then go on to produce winning babies; now it is his turn to prove himself as a leading sire.

The name Vampirical may not be as familiar as some other "Old Champions" such as Thunder Artic, Chatterbox, or Alytrain, but this colt proved himself time and time again racing with these great colts and fillies.

Thus far, Vampirical has amassed a record of 51:8-15-9 with just under $7 million dollars in earnings. As his owner says, Vampirical may be "the best bridesmaid in the game." As his record shows he has consistently finished second, it is not at his own fault, but is a tribute to the horses that raced in his day.

In his peak, Vampirical was a turf specialist, but would not shy away from the dirt. At three his major win’s included the G2 Grand Prix Stakes and the G1 Hollywood Turf cup at 11 and 12 furlongs respectively. He also placed a strong second in both the G1 South Australian Stakes and Breeder’s Cup Turf, coming home behind Thunder Artic and Chatterbox.

At four Vampirical had an even better year, but again was cursed by the year in which he lived. He returned to defend his title at the Hollywood Turf Cup and came home with a win over the six other entries, including Skyfinder. At four, he finished 3rd in the Arlington Million, Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe, and Breeder’s Cup Turf.

Coming back as a five-year-old veteran, Vampirical had an even stronger year. He had two wins, a G1 and G2, at 12 furlongs on the turf. He also came home with 5 second place finishes in G1 company, including The Metropolitan Handicap, Dubai Sheema Classic, Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe, and the Breeder’s Cup Turf.

At six Vampirical started to have a bit of trouble navigating the ovals with the younger generation of stars, but came home in the money seven times, with another G1 win, and multiple G1 placing. As an aged racer he brought in nearly $1.3 million dollars.
In Vampirical’s last and final year as a racer, he has managed to pull off a G2 win, but the signs have become clear that he is past his prime, and ready for the breeding shed.

While he may have not been the greatest horse to race around the Photo Finish ovals, he was a name that appeared over many years and with many legends of old.

This stallion was best from 10 – 13 furlongs, and loved to race on the turf. He will be able to bring stamina to any mare, and give the longevity that many stallions seem to lack.

STUD FEE: $40,000
Contact: Spartan Racing Stables

Vampirical's Ability Report

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early, ready for the Derby.
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse will be near peak potential for the Derby.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse prefers soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse will fight tooth and nail if challenged at the wire.
This horse is of average soundness.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse holds its position well in curves.
This horse cruises once it has the lead.
This horse handles traffic ok.
This horse has consistency problems. Doesn't always meet expectations.
This horse has an average recovery rate between races.
This horse has average weight carrying capacity.
This horse is flexible; can run on lead, stalk, or come from behind.
This horse accelerates like a bullet!
This horse is a slow starter out of the gate.
This horse has average speed.
Handles 1 1/4mi to 2mi, best distance 1 1/2mi.

Bargain Breeding Deals

With the upcoming breeding season comes in the influx of owner’s posting their Stallion Advertisements. The process can be quite daunting for small breeding programs that only have one or two broodmares, and a small amount of money set aside for breeding.

So, for those of us who didn’t book 10 years in advance (and saving for as long) to pay for War Machine’s 5 spots going for $300,000 a piece, Revenge’s $200,000, or Smart Money’s $100,000 stud fee’s, here is a list of some Bargain Stallion, who could end up producing the next champion.

ALL of these stallions’ stud fees are equal to or less than $20,000.

Congenial (KRF Stables): If you can not afford the $200,000 fee for Revenge, perhaps you should try another KRF Stable Stud. This 7 year old black colt is entering his 2 year in the breeding shed. In his racing days, he earned just over $8 million dollars, bringing home 8 wins, 9 seconds, and 11 thirds.

AR Highlights: Prefers on Hard and Soft Turf, Ok on mud, Very Hardy, Incredibly consistent, Good Acceleration, Breaks Well, Handles 10 – 16 furlongs.

Stud Fee: $15,000. Contact KRF Stables for more information.

Handsome Man (Hopeful Farm): This 8 year old bay stallion is entering his 4 year in the breeding shed. He has earned nearly $3.8 million dollar in 43 starts, bringing home 10 wins, 16 seconds, and 11 thirds. He was a Champion sprinter at 4 and 5 winning 2 out 3 legs of the Sprinter’s TC, but at 4 he placed second in G1 and G2 races up to 10 furlongs against legends Revenge and Spanish Midnight.

AR Highlights: Ok on All surface, except Mud, Front Runner, Accelerate like Bullet, Good Speed, Handles 5 furlongs to 10 furlongs.

Progeny Highlights: Currently has 6 two-year old racers, three of which has made their racing debuts (Handsome Image, Handsome Problem, and Handsomely Kept). Handsome Image has a record of 1:0-0-0, Handsome Problem is at 2:1-0-1, and Handsomely Kept has a record of 1:1-0-0.

Stud Fee: $10,000 to established stables or $5,000 to new stables. Contact Hopeful Farm for more information.

Kendane (Stonewall Stables): This 8 year old chestnut stallion is entering his second year in the breeding shed. He earned just over $3 million dollars in 41 starts, bringing home 9 wins, 7 seconds, and 5 thirds. His current owner states that this fast stallion was “grossly mismanaged” during his racing days, and had the potential to amass a better record.

AR Highlights: Quick to Mature, Good or Prefers on Turf and Mud, Very Hardy, Incredibly consistent, Front runner, good acceleration, Lightning Speed, Handles 5 – 10 furlongs.

Stud Fee: $20,000. Contact Stonewall Stables for more information.

Levicorpus (Golden Acres): This 4 year old chestnut colt is finishing off his racing career, preparing for his time in the breeding shed. Thus, far he has earned just under $2 million dollars in 20 starts, bring home 6 wins, 5 seconds, and 3 thirds. His biggest win came as a 3 year old, when he won the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen – one of the biggest and richest sprint races on the card.

AR Highlights: Quick to Mature, Long Peak, Ok or better on all surfaces, Very Hardy, Good Acceleration, Breaks Well, Good Speed, Handles 5 – 7 furlongs.

Stud Fee: FREE to all Stables. Contact Golden Acres for more information.

Supreme Court (KRF Stables): Here is another KRF Stud that has a fee considerably less than their stable buddy Revenge. This 6 year old Secretariat colt earned just over $3 million dollars from 47 races, brining home 5 wins, 12 seconds, and 11 thirds.

AR Highlights: Good or better of Hard Dirt, Mud, and Hard turf, Very consistent, Good Acceleration, Good speed, Handles 8 -12 furlongs.

Stud Fee: $5,000 to Established stables, FREE to New stables. Contact KRF Stables for more information.

SKIM THE HILL (Bally Doyle Stables): First season stallion with an impeccable pedigree and race record. By the world renowned stallion DANEHILL and out of the European Champion mare INDIAN SKIMMER, "Skimmy" has won G1 races in each of the 3 seasons he has raced. Effective up to 1m (8f) on turf, he has posted 6 wins from 17 runs and over $1.5million in earings. Preference for hard turf, good gate speed and not liking being passed once in front, his AR highlights include "Quick maturity", "Fair recovery".

Stud Fee: $10,000 per breed or for multiple breeds, discounts available. Contact Bally Doyle for confirmation and booking - only a few left!

Watch for more Bargain Breeding Deals!

Old School Champions fade into history

Every year new stars emerge. As they climb up the ladder in career earnings and eventually break into the top 25, they push yet another of the old guard off the list and into the beginning stages of obscurity.

The following horses were all on the top 25 earnings list at the end of the 2006 season:

16th - Nightwing - Otsego Farms
17th - Dubai Gold - Fender Stables
22nd - Demoness - Snowbank Farm
23rd - Vampirical - Spartan Racing Stables
24th - Succubus - Rainbow
25th - Golden Tombi - Parklands

All have been bumped and will soon be joined by the following horses:

Currently 23rd - All For Camena - FDL Lodge
Currently 24th - Bold N' Free - Port Pirie Racing
Currently 25th - Blushing Approval - Bonai Farms

The next horse to join the top 25 will probably be Lazy Loper of Bonai. As he joins, another old school horse will step into obscurity. Kind of sad, isn't it? Ah well, we all have to move on....

ATTN: Stallion Owners

If you want to see your stallion in a spotlight article in the Racing Recap send Matt an e-mail at shahmat_amal@hotmail.com. We'll let everyone know about the wonders of your stud, and why his book should be full. It's a chance to let lesser-known stallions get their say, and perhaps educate the growing public of the either older, or non Revenge or War Machine, stallions that need to earn their feed.

So send Matt a line at shahmat_amal@hotmail.com. We only ask that you provide the following information (we will do a little bit of research, if we can, but this information will add to article and guarantee that everyone knows your 'real' stallion):

1. Basic Info (Name, Age, Race Record, Earnings, STUD FEE, etc).
2. Awards/Major Wins or Places
3. Surface Preference
4. Distance Preference (Other preferences if you wish)
5. If have foals of racing age, any significant runs by them/Foals with good ARs/Potential
6. If you wish to have it published: AR (or portion)
7. Any other tidbits you want to mention...

Also, if you are a master of the pen and wish to write up your own article about your stallion and want it published here, just e-mail Matt, and we'll be happy to put it up for you.

Waiting for this year's babies...

How Tired is Tired?

One of the greatest debates to be had in the game is the one over REST. This is a subject close to my heart as there is nothing more saddening than seeing a good horse over run and turn sour. Its a personal choice which means that if I speak to several trainers I will probably get several different answers. One the one hand thats a good thing as different types of horse respond in different ways to more rest, less racing or more racing, less rest. On the other hand a trainer who rests their horses for long spells can find it frustrating to see another trainer running his (or her!) horses week in week out.

Whilst I dont claim to be an expert, and am just a simple journalist, I thought it wouldnt hurt to express how I interpret the rest/run theory.

Lets start with ARs. Depending on when your horse was born it will have a line in its AR referring to its powers of recovery. Some will say "machine", others "fairly quickly" or "average" or some the dreaded "slow". (The newer ARs dont refer to rest so it will be interesting to see how the training fraternity use them).

I will use three horses as examples as to how I see rest periods.

1. RECOVERS LIKE A MACHINE! Yes, this is the one that we all want if we are honest, a horse that can race week in week out and bring the stable lots of money! But we still have to balance the health of the horse with the health of the stable bank balance. So you enter this horse in a race on 1st November 2006. It wins and has no injuries. So you look for another race and see one on 13th November but thats only 12 days rest. Do you enter? That depends entirely on the trainer. Some will say sure the horse had an easy race and is raring to go and enter a horse within 7days of their last run, whilst others would be looking for a race on or after 15th November, ie following the recommended rest period of 14 days.

2. RECOVERS AT AVERAGE RATE. OK not so good but average isnt a disaster. This horse also ran on 1st November, placing and returned sore for 2 days. When do you start to look for a race? Simple math: 14 days rest + 2 days sore = 16days, therefore earliest race should be at or after 17th November. But as this horse only recovers "at average rate", you should be looking at adding at least another 5 - 7 days to the rest period so the equation now reads: 20 days rest + 2 days sore = 22 days, so a race on or after 23rd November.

3. SLOW TO RECOVER. Oh dear what to do with a horse that is fragile? The simple answer is to run sparingly. So you run this "glass" horse on 1st November, it wins but returns with 10days injured. Now the Advanced math course kicks in. 14 days rest + 10 days injured = 24 days, so next race wouldnt be until at least 25th November. But the horse is injured not sore so it would make sense to DOUBLE the extra rest periods, right? Lets try the math again - 14 days rest + 10 days injured + 10 days recuperation = 34 days. Now the calendar flips over into December and you are looking at races from 5th December onwards.

So to simplify, if you horse come back sore, just add the sore days to the 14 days rest. If it comes back injured, double the days and add them to the 14 days. The Racing Steward recommends a minimum of 14 days rest so LISTEN TO HER! The sore/injured list isnt there for bedtime reading either its a serious part of the game.

OK - a lot of you wont agree with any of this, some will agree with some of this and others will put this in as your racing bible! As I stated at the start of this post, the subject of REST is highly flammable and this post could become incendary! But a very very simple equation is that an injured horse cant earn any money so why risk your livelihood by running a horse with little or no rest. So a good rule of thumb for new trainers is run little and rest often - try to place your horse in a race that has a good chance of earning a purse rather than in as many big races as possible in the hope that maybe they will get something.

I know there are several horses out there who are exceptions to the rule and run well week in week out and never get sore, injured and earn a fortune BUT these are few and far between. This may be Fantasy and Simulation but a little bit of Realisim in some parts works wonders!

A Dream Fulfilled

Over the past few weeks we've heard nonstop of the superb races run by 3 year old fillies Pefect Bell and Led Astray. But this past weekend another 3 year old filly captured the last jewel in her Crown.

Broken Dream (Stephen Got Even x La Lagune) the three year old filly bred and trained by Long Island Hayburners, won the G1 Wonder Where Stakes, and completing the Canadian Filly's Triple Crown.

Coming into the Canadian Triple Crown series Broken Dream had a 2008 Record of 5:2-2-0 with $430,000 for the season. She had won the G2 Bonnie Miss Stakes (8.5F, Dirt), and placed 2nd in the G1 Ashland Stakes and Kentucky Oaks. Missing out on the U.S. Filly'sTriple Crown, her trainer decided to send her north of the border, to make her bid at the Canadian T.C.

The first leg of the Canadian Filly's T.C. was The Canadian Oaks, a race over 9 furlongs on the dirt. The track was lightning fast that day, and Broken Dream came home with a 3 1/2 length win and a Track and Race Record, with a time of 1:36.32. That day she beat, Enlightenment (Watch This Space), Scenic Sheba (Foxies Lodge), Princess Royal (Chiknsmack Stables), She's a Prize (Bonai Farms), and Bedazzled (Hutton's Horse Haven). However, Broken Dream came home sore for 2 days, according to the post-race vet examination.

21 days later, Broken Dream faced just two other entries for the G1 Bison City Stakes (8.5F Dirt). None of the fillies she faced in the first leg showed up for this race, but Chiknsmack Stables decided to send out a different filly, Night Flight. The other entry was Affnity from Godolphin 17. This time Broken Dream won by 13 1/2 lengths and came home with another Track and Race Record, with a time of 1:41.10. She would come home sore again for 2 days.

On August 2, 2008, Broken Dream stepped onto the turf track for the first time this year. She faced 7 other entries and would run for 10 furlongs on firm turf, which would prove to be her toughest test. The bettors had faith in this filly, and sent her off as the 4:5 favorite for the running of the last leg of the Canadian Filly's Triple Crown - G1 Wonder Where Stakes.

The field broke fast, and Find the Power, from Port Pirie Racing, took the early lead with Deauville of Yeguada Lore Toki in hot pursuit. Royal Memories, from new stable Nebraska Stables, was just off the pace, with a trio of fillies, Under the Influence (History's Own Stable), Broken Dream, (Long Island), and Royal Hawk (KRF Stables) all within about 3 lengths. April Carrot (Parklands) and Dancing Lass (Stonewall Stables) were sitting comfortably at 5 and 7 lengths behind; their jockeys not too worried, content to wait.

By the middle of the backstretch the field positions had changed rather rapidly. Find the Power and Deauville still held the top two spots, but Royal Hawk had slid into 3rd as they made their way around the first short turn. In hot pursuit was April Carrot who was just behind and starting to make her move.

Half way through the race, the positions had not changed, but 3 fillies, Royal Memories, Under the Influence, and Dancing Lass were battling it out for 5th place. Broken Dream had fallen into last, behind the racing trio, 4 1/2 lengths off the pace, which Find the Power held by a neck. It has at this point that April Carrot was pulled up by her jockey, and starting fall back rapidly, settling beside Dacing Lass on the far outside.

A furlong later, Under the Influence began to move up on the leaders on the inside, with Broken Dream on her heels. With 2 1/2 furlongs to go, Under the Influence found that the hole was not big enough for her to go through, and couldn't find a way past Deauville, who had taken the top spot. April Carrot was give a swat with the whip and was back on track, racing fourth on the outside and gaining ground. Broken Dream, in 5th was having just as much trouble as Under the Influence trying to find racing room.

With less than 2 furlongs to go, Broken Dream's jockey decides that he can not wait for a hole to open on the inside, and swings the filly wide, praying that his move isn't too late. Under the Influence broke through the hole on the inside and claimed a short lead over Deauville, with April Carrot along side Broken Dream and Find the Power.

With a clear racing track ahead of them, Under the Influence and Broken Dream swept away from the other fillies; Broken Dream straining to catch the grey filly from History's Own Stable. In the last few strides the Long Island Hayburner's homebred filly overtook Under the Influence and won by 1/2 a length, with another Track and Race Record, with a time of 1:59.54 (she also came home sore again... for 2 days).

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Matt's Notable Mention: What is up with April Carrot's jockey? He pulled her back, half way through the race when she was sitting comfortably. Then sent her off again a few furlongs later... Find the Power held a nice lead for the beginning of the race, and raced her best time at 10F in this race, but we wonder if she'd do better at shorter distances... It was a very nice race for History's Own Stable's Under the Influence.